White Man In Hammersmith
So, while I'm still NOT on vacation, I'm reading Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash, because Chris Salewicz's book STILL isn't out yet. I don't know if that means it's gotten bigger and better since it's been delayed three times, or that Luce didn't like it or it just sucked and needed a lot of rewrites. Kris Needs' book is pretty good, though.
So, I found a picture of Mescalero-era Joe on the web and made a drawing of it. The original has a nice clear shot of Joe's beloved, battered Tele.

While I've been on this Joe jag I went and found my condolence message from the day after we found out that Joe died (I got on the Guardian site very early that morning and it was all over that, then the American media got it a few hours later). A lot of nice people wrote a lot of nice things for Joe, for Luce, for the punters. I can't help but wonder what he might be doing now, if he'd gotten the chance to finish the tunes that became Streetcore (which I like very much, but I can't help but wonder). Perhaps a lifetime of speed, weed, and then ecstasy, not to mention smoking regular old cigarettes, really does take its toll? It's sad.
And yet Topper is still alive (but not well).